‘Another lockdown will finish TRNC’s economy’
THE TRNC’s economy will be “finished” if the country goes into a third coronavirus lockdown, the leaders of business organisations have warned.
Health Minister Ünal Üstel and his undersecretary Deren Oygar have been calling on members of the public to stick to Covid precautions to “avoid another lockdown”, despite the increasing number of people who have been inoculated.
There are fears that rocketing cases in South Cyprus and the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant of the disease will lead to a rise in the number of hospitalisations and deaths.
Last week Mr Üstel stated that the border with the South could be closed again, just weeks after it was reopened, if cases there continue to rise.
Commenting on the latest warnings Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans general coordinator Hürrem Tulga said that shutting the land border again would be “unacceptable”.
“It makes no sense to talk about the closure of a region like South Cyprus, where 64 percent of the public is vaccinated, when people are entering the TRNC by air and sea from many risky countries where only 20 per cent of the population is vaccinated,” he said.
“We are already accepting people who are double vaccinated or with negative PCR test results.”
Stating that shopkeepers who depend on footfall from the South have been “able to make some money” after the crossings were reopened, Mr Tulga continued: “Even though shopkeepers could not sell as much as they expected after the crossings were reopened, at least they were able to make a start. At least there is some expectation of sales right now. What will these people do if this disappears? They will die.”
He added that the first repayment instalment date for bank loans taken out by shopkeepers at the start of the pandemic is nearing and that if the border gates are closed, they will “go bankrupt because they cannot make these repayments”.
“The Health Ministry should increase inspections of indoor venues instead of discussing closing the border gates,” Mr Tulga said.
Cyprus Turkish Hoteliers Association head Dimağ Çağıner said that if the border is closed, “many sectors such as tourism, retail stores and petrol stations will be adversely affected”.
Mr Çağıner stated that all
hotels that had been closed reopened as of July 1, but that occupancy rates are low.
If the crossings close, the tourist population coming from Larnaca airport will also be affected, he pointed out.
He indicated that air fares to North Cyprus are expensive due to limits on daily flights to Ercan airport and that “many people prefer to come via Larnaca because of both ticket prices and direct flights”.
He also said that many people living in South Cyprus prefer to holiday in the TRNC. “If the gates close again, we will be finished,” he warned.
Economist Okan Veli Şafaklı said that many countries accept fully vaccinated people “without asking for a PCR test” but that people who enter the TRNC through land gates are required to provide a negative Covid test result.
Mr Şafaklı pointed out that the vaccination rate has increased in the TRNC and that even though the number of cases has also increased, the number of Covid patients in intensive care and the number of Covid-related deaths has decreased considerably.
“We now have to learn to live with this virus,” he said, adding that the economy will suffer a “great blow if the gates are closed again”.
“Just as a car’s gearbox would explode if you suddenly go from fifth gear to second gear, the country’s economic gearbox will explode if the border gates are closed again.
“Unfortunately, despite the increased penalties, there are not enough inspections. What is the use of increased penalties if they are not implemented? Even those working on the streets and indoors don’t wear masks.”